Western redcedar, western red cedar • Thuja plicata

IdentificationWestern redcedar is a large conifer commonly found throughout the coastal regions of mainland British Columbia and the islands. This species can grow up to 60 m tall and 6 m in diameter. The bark is one of the more noticeable traits of this species: it is reddish-brown to grey and striated into long, narrow strips that are often partially lifted up from the rest of the bark, and which readily tear away. The wood has a strong and distinct smell. Western redcedar branches droop and curve upwards at the ends, giving them a J-shape. They are flattened horizontally, spreading into flat sprays of glossy yellow-green, scale-like leaves. They look somewhat like a flattened braid, and are overlapping, arranged in four rows opposite pairs, and pressed tightly to the stem. The leaves in one of the pairs (two opposite rows) are folded, creating a flattened appearance. The cones are egg-shaped and small, reaching 1 cm long. They start off green, then change to brown and become woody as they mature.

Habitat & RangeWestern redcedar prefers moist soils, and usually shady forests. These trees often grow on seepage sites, floodplains and in rich parent material that is high in nutrients. They also grow in drier, nutrient-rich sites, and in bogs. They are restricted to low to middle elevations, a feature that is usually helpful for distinguishing this species from the similar yellow-cedar. Western redcedars are not all that widely distributed. Within BC, they are common all along the coast and inland to to Coast Range, as well as in southcentral and southeastern BC. Along the coast, they range northwards to Alaska, and south to northern California. These trees are found in some parts of inland northern Washington, Idaho, and Montana, as well as Alberta.

Similar SpeciesThe co-occurring yellow-cedar (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis) is very similar in appearance to the western redcedar, but can be differentiated on closer inspection. The branches of yellow-cedar are more drooping than redcedar, without the 'J'-shape of the upward lift at the end of the branches. The bark appears similar, but while it flakes in small pieces it does not tear off in long strips like redcedar. The inner bark is yellowish. The leaf differences can be difficult to determine to an unexperienced eye: with yellow-cedar all four rows of leaves are similar, rather than the two opposite rows of folded leaves giving the leaf organization a more flattened appearance as with redcedar. Furthermore, yellow-cedar leaves give off an unpleasant and mildewy smell when crushed, as opposed to the traditional 'cedar' smell of the redcedar. Additionally, running a hand along a yellow-cedar stem "against the grain" of the leaves (away from the tip) is prickly.

Mature yellow-cedar cones look like a round, woody piece of popcorn, rather than the upward pointing and more obviously-scaled redcedar cones. There are 4-6 scales on each cone, while western redcedars have 8-12.Click here for a long and detailed consideration of the two species' similarities and differences beyond identification.

Human UsesCedars were called the 'trees of life' by the Kwakwaka'wakw, and the statement holds true for likely all of the Northwest Coast Peoples. Not only was the bark an important material for clothing and shelter, the wood was used for tools and transportation. The redcedar has powerful spiritual and healing aspects as well, and the trees figured prominently in mythology.

Some traditional uses were common along the coast: the wood was used for constructing dugout canoes, houses, totem and mortuary poles, and bentwood boxes. Other items created from the wood and bark include clothing, hats, and baskets, as well as an incredible array of tools: combs, masks, fish clubs, cradles, paddles, spear poles, harpoon shafts, berry-drying racks, and many more.

The wood was also prized as fuel, especially for drying fish, because it produces little smoke when it burns. Traditional harvest methods did not usually include felling whole trees: instead, wood that had fallen naturally was used, or planks were split out of living trees — allowing the tree to continue to grow as long as too much was not taken. The same is true of the bark, which was peeled off part of a tree in a long strip. This use has left many culturally modified trees in some areas with a distinctive upside-down 'V' shape.

The extent of uses of western redcedar continues far beyond this short summary page. A search on the University of Michigan - Dearborn Native American Ethnobotany website yields 368 distinct uses, which can be viewed here, along with the citations to find the publication describing each use.

As British Columbia's provincial tree, the iconic western redcedar continues to be prized by BC residents. However, some of the characteristics for which redcedar wood is particularly economically valuable — durability, for example — are difficult to obtain with standard forestry practices. Second-growth redcedar (replanted following logging) may not have many aspects that the wood is known for, as discussed here.

Intriguing InfoWestern redcedars are some of the longest-lived trees in the world. Click here to learn more about big trees and where the three largest redcedars in the world are (one is in BC!)

Old growth forests are highly valued for a variety of reasons, one of which is the complex habitat they provide that allows a wide diversity of species to flourish. Some species require habitat characteristics that are only found in old-growth forests, such as the large moss mats in which marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) nest. Much of BC's old-growth has been logged, however, including thousands of western redcedars. The future of BC's remaining old-growth forests, where some of the largest redcedar trees are found, is subject to intense debate. Groups like the Ancient Forest Alliance campaign for the protection of BC's old-growth forests and trees.

Top: western redcedar branch, photo by Paula Crozier. Left: Culturally modified western redcedar; right: working with western redcedar bark. Photos by Jessica Brown.